The current methods of distributing multimedia data over the Internet are quality constrained by existing bandwidth, or involve website downloads through specific file transfer and client requests.
The currently favoured broadcast method is the technique commonly referred to as "bit-streaming" is used to distribute multimedia data through a continuous bit-streamed broadcast, which, in more sophisticated multicast techniques, such as MBONE, where a single copy of the data is broadcast to all receivers at once, thus obtaining significant economies of bandwidth. This technique is particularly appropriate to video broadcasts where the broadcaster uses a "push" server application program to transmit common
Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) or proprietary Internet Protocol (IP) based bit-streaming to the Internet browsers of all recipients. Alternatively, non-broadcast methods can be used. Multimedia can be downloaded as data file through an ad hoc "pull" (user determined interaction) approach using HTTP from a website by an Internet user requesting a specific browser download of a specific multimedia file from an Internet server website. Large data files can also be transmitted to or from remote hosts, or between remote hosts, using File Transfer Protocol (FTP), which issues commands telling, what to transfer and where it may be sent over different connections. In both cases. continuous multimedia becomes only experienced in a playback mode, once the requested multimedia file has been received by the client.
Multimedia files can also be transmitted using Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) for e-mail. SMTP is independent of the particular transmission subsystem and requires only a reliable ordered data stream channel. E-mail, however, is transmitted from a Sender-SMTP host to a Receiver-SMTP host, or from one server directory to another. Subsequent to the receipt of e-mail, the individual client receiver is again required to download, via FTP, e-mail from a Receiver host directory, or "mailbox", to the client workstation.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,828,840 Cowan et al., a client initiates a connection with a server, and the server responds to the request for connection by transmitting a message back to the client to determine whether the client is a network terminal or not. The client responds with a message that is received by an application dispatcher at the server which takes one of a pair of actions based on whether the client is a network terminal. If the client terminal is a network terminal, then the application dispatcher spawns a server application in the server which responds to the client application in the client. Going forward, the server application responds to all future requests from the client application. If the client is not a network terminal, then the application dispatcher initiates a client application in the server to service the client terminal application requirements. Requests from the client application on behalf of the client terminal are subsequently serviced by a server application at the server which communicates to the client terminal via the client application at the server. Client/network server messaging is defined by respective processes to maintain ongoing communication controls which are not related to processing capabilitiesor data identification.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,663 Uomini, provides a system for news network management which allows a poster to post an article which might comprise multiple component files of varying types combined in the article by hypertext references in a posted message. The posted message can either be any browser, indexing server, archive server, tertiary storage manager, or method player component. Thus, system components supplied by multiple vendors can be interconnected to form a multimedia system that communicates using the generalized interfaces of the invention. A browser component can accept input such as search requests and display multimedia data. An indexing server component includes a data catalogue that catalogues multimedia data. The catalogue can be used to identify catalogue elements associated with data that can satisfy a search request. A search mechanism is used to identify the desired multimedia data. A search mechanism can create additional catalogues that are a subset of the catalogue provided on the indexing server. An archive server identifies a tertiary storage manager that manages the store containing the multimedia data. The tertiary storage manager retrieves the corresponding multimedia data from its store and sends it to a method play which plays it in a display region of the browser. The invention retains the content and results of a search such that it is only necessary to perform a search once. Search elements are used to store the content of a search, i.e. search criteria. A segment element is used to store the results of a search. The object of the invention is to solve one or more of the drawbacks in existing methods discussed above, or to provide other improvements to the art.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,768,513 Kuthyar et al. a communications system uses an Internet server to provide multimedia messaging functions over the Internet. Multimedia workstations are interconnected via the public switched telephone network (PSTN). Parties are provided with multimedia mailboxes on message servers that are connected to t the PSTN and the Internet. In order to identify the message server on which a called party's mailbox is located, the Internet server provides the number of the called party. When a multimedia call is unanswered, the system uses the multimedia number of the message server and the called party multimedia number provided by the Internet server to record and store a message for the called party in the called party's mailbox.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,761,416 Mandel et al., a video server allows for additional output bandwidth from the server by using multiple physical network interfaces over a single IP subnetwork. This approach is particularly well suited for use with video servers that store and deliver multimedia bit streams but allowing all clients to share the same subnetwork with the server. In this manner, the bandwidth from each of the physical network interfaces can be combined as needed and assigned as needed in service to any plurality of destinations in the network, allowing all bandwidth to be available for use with one or more clients.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,809,512 Kato, an information provider apparatus, enables a user to employ hyperlink selection from a displayed hypertext data page to obtain and play the contents of specific sets of multimedia data which are held in a data storage device, executing control of playing of a set based upon elapsed frame numbers of a video clip which forms part of the set, in conjunction with scenario data which have been predetermined for the set. The apparatus can be used in a network in which users of various client terminals can access multimedia data stored at a server computer, or can exchange electronic mail items each consisting of a set of multimedia data in conjunction with corresponding scenario data, or can post messages on a "notice board" hypertext page at the server computer, each message consisting of a set of multimedia data and corresponding scenario data, with other users of the network being able to access the posted messages by browsing selection. This invention specifically pertains to downloading and plaving video files and downloading other scenario data from a webserver through a browser.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,014 Gustman, is a generalized solution for management of multimedia assets. Generalized interfaces are used between a browser component, indexing server, archive server, tertiary storage manager, and method player components. The generalized interface defines a communication protocol that can be used by any browser, indexing server, archive server, tertiary storage manager, or method player component. Thus, system components supplied by multiple vendors can be interconnected to form a multimedia system that communicates using the generalized interfaces of the invention. A browser component can accept input such as search requests and display multimedia data. An indexing server component includes a data catalogue that catalogues multimedia data. The catalogue can be used to identify catalogue elements associated with data that can satisfy a search request. A search mechanism is used to identify the desired multimedia data. A search mechanism can create additional catalogues that are a subset of the catalogue provided on the indexing server. An archive server identifies a tertiary storage manager that manages the store containing the multimedia data. The tertiary storage manager retrieves the corresponding multimedia data from its store and sends it to a method play which plays it in a display region of the browser. The invention retains the content and results of a search such that it is only necessary to perform a search once. Search elements are used to store the content of a search, i.e., search criteria. A segment element is used to store the results of a search.
The object of the current invention is to solve one or more of the drawbacks in existing methods discussed above, or to provide other improvements to the art.